CLOSER UNITY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18892, 6 January 1927, Page 7

CLOSER UNITY.

CONFERENCE RESULTS

MR BRUCE EMPHATIC

(BT CABIS—IREgg ASBOCIATIOX—COPTRIOHT (ACSTKALIAN ASD JT.S. CABLI ASSOCIATION.

OTTAWA,, Januarv 1

The Kt. Hon. Stanley Bruce, before a record gathering at the Canadian Club dinner at Toronto, to-day, stated that every self-governing British Dominion must undertake its full quota of the cost of defence, or accept a position of inferiority in the Empire. Mr Bruce read a tabic giving Australia's per capita expenditure for this purpose as 0-1 cents, compared with Canada's £2 cents.

deferring to the Imperial Conference, he said that while some of tho ideas expressed there were unadultorated nonsense, no principles were laid down that were not in existence before. "I know there will bo a number of people who have been very much alive and loyal in their belief' in the Empire, and who believe our Empire is the greatest force towards tho universal peace of flio world, and who havo a kind of apprehension that something has been dono that might eventually lead to disintegration. Gentlemen, I wish to say that there is not the slightest foundation for such suspicion or allegation. What was done there- was clone with my cordial co-operation and assistance, because I believed it to be wise and would tend to the closer uniting of the Empire. If tho determinations of the conference had been to impair, in the slightest degree, that unity, it would never have had my consent. I would have fought to the last ditch to prevent .ach action." A point raised in a Press interview following the luncheon address at the Canadian Club, was whether the Imperial Economic Conference was not a failure because it diu not touch the question of preference. Mr Bruce replied that while personally he believed that the question must ultimately be solved before inter-Imperial trade reached its greatest height, he felt quite satisfied with the economic work of the Conference, particularly the broad plans made for co-operation between Great Britain and the Dominions relative to science and industry. Ho added that he felt that the ultimate attainment of a preference scheme, which now naturally could not be discussed because of the Baldwin Government's policy, would be reached by broadening the now existing scheme for the safeguarding of industry in Great Britain, so that it is applied similarly throughout the Empire.